Pain Control "a Fun Experience for All"
On July 8, DMD students entering the third year completed what has become a rite of passage: Pain Control. Clinical Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Predoctoral Clinical Education Dr. John Guarente praised students for their professionalism and called the day “a fun experience for all”.
The exercise, part of clinical orientation, asks students to play the roles of patient and dentist, as they administer local anesthesia to each other. Under the supervision of Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Predoctoral Oral Surgery Clinic Dr. Richard D’Innocenzo and other faculty, students work on their skills so they will feel comfortable and confident when treating patients.
“Once again there was tremendous excitement from the students and faculty at the pain control exercise,” said Dr. Guarente. “This is a session that every dentist will remember for the rest of his or her life.” He added, “I cannot thank the faculty enough, Dr. D’Innocenzo in particular, for their knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm during the session.”
By lunchtime, students’ said their mouths were numb, but they were in good spirits.
“Since giving local anesthesia to patients will be a routine part of our treatment plan, I felt this was a great exercise to learn from,” said Nelishah Jiwani DMD 12. “It will also be nice for patients because we can tell them that we truly do know what it is like to be on the receiving end!”
In the afternoon, they toured the fifth floor for an operational orientation.